Life is but a dream

My Answer? OF COURSE yes, I have an answer….right around here somewhere…

This is in response to the Daily Post, which was “Going Obsolete: of all the technologies that have gone obsolete in your lifetime, which one do you miss the most?”

Holy smokes–where to start? I do not have a clear answer in mind yet, but it will come…. When I was a kid, ballpoint pens had not been invented yet, and the trains in our town were pulled by steam locomotives…but what do (or rather “what should”) I miss most? Okay, here it is: the technology of fashion.

There was an entire system, not unlike a technology, of dressing appropriately. First came the uniforms. Not military uniforms–those are still around, and they are over rated. I wore military uniforms most of my adult life, and the very image now evokes an overwhelming malaise of tedium. No, I am speaking of a habit society used to have of dressing various endeavors up, increasing the pride and reducing confusion. Twice in the last week, people in stores asked me if I worked there. Who can blame them–how can we even tell in most stores who the employees are? We had a soda fountain in our town (Bond’s), and the soda jerks wore little hats and clean white jackets, as if we were in a Twilight Zone episode or something. The gas station attendants at Hess’s wore similar uniforms even in later decades. Elevator operators, milk men, all sorts of professions: all sorts of folks wore uniforms. It is silly and unessential….yet somehow comforting and professional.

Next come the everyday getups of normal folks NOT at work. It was very common to dress up for many things…dinner, in higher society homes, for example. But you would never dream of showing up in court in anything other than a coat and tie, for example. Certainly not a t-shirt of questionable design and a backwards baseball hat… (“Well, I was going to give you a suspended sentence young man, but then I saw your “Eff-Ewe” t-shirt…”)

Don’t get me wrong–I’m all for freedom of speech. I mean, like holy shit, really. And I am the only one in the living room without a tattoo yet. But that is only because I am indecisive and cowardly. I would never hesitate to hire a Goth. In fact I would prefer it. You know what? I’m so inconsistent that this cannot possibly be my answer!

Technology….what technology do I miss? Tech…know…logic…cal… Hmmmm…..

Eight track tapes? No, they wore out and mangled themselves easily. Carburetors? Possibly…but not exactly inspiring. Slide rules, transistors or vacuum tubes? No, no and no. Black and white television? Interesting….it did make one focus on the plot more… Modems? Now THERE was an annoying POS (to use Freedom of Speech again).

Telephones have gotten only better, as has mail delivery. Nothing to miss about the old there. You know what though? Cars used to be more… nifty. Don’t get me wrong: I love that my Ford Focus gets about 38 miles a gallon, particularly since gas costs somewhat north of a quarter now. But they used to LOOK so much more interesting. A Lambourghini Coutach is interesting looking, to be sure–but who can afford it? Anyone could afford the first T-bird convertible. Anyone could afford the first F-150, that looked equally at home in the driveway or on–wait, wait–now I’ve really got the answer!

Jeeps.

The earlier and the simpler, the better. I remember when we traded in our jeeps in the army, for HUMMV’s. I can only imagine the level of political corruption it took to replace a nine hundred dollar piece of efficiency with a fifty four thousand dollar monster that was somehow LESS comfortable, but they did it. And why a civilian would ever want to keep one in gasoline is beyond me. Yeah, gimme the jeep back!

I look at the cars now and think the same, manufacturers have added soooo many “You need this” extras that, your right, more things that can go wrong. It’s crazy. Give me back my old Chrisler Sunbeam anyday and I’d be overjoyed! Automatic too it was, fanastic!!

I miss telephones on which you could be sure you had a connection that wouldn’t drop randomly and on which you could actually hear what someone said to you and know they could hear you, too. “Can you hear me? Hello? Are you still there?” It’s like 1915 all over again, only without wires or accountability.

There is a great deal to be said for “without wires” though…what an eyesore telephone poles are, not to mention the waste. But I agree wholeheartedly about the surety of the landline. Now the PARTY line (old time shared telephone lines between households)…that was nothing short of ridiculous!

My brilliant husband! I don’t miss Jeeps, at all. Give me all of the creature comforts of Sirius Satellite Radio, my navigation system, built in blue-tooth and every other bell and whistle that comes with newer model vehicles. There’s so very little that I miss in the way of technology–as you know I’m always looking forward to the next model of the next gadget. There is one old fashioned thing that I do love, and that’s manners–which have seemed to be overridden by some types of technology! Oh well! 🙂 xoxxoxox

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